Welcome! This blog documented my my thoughts and insights as I progressed through the 4 year naturopathic medicine program in Canada and now provides some highlights of an ND's private practice. It includes links for those interested in becoming a Naturopathic Doctor as well as resources for students and patients interested in the field. My clinic is located in Airdrie Alberta.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

This yogurt is real! Made from whole milk unprocessed straight from the cow. For a plain yogurt, it has an amazing, soft flavour. Furthermore, it is organic (I like to mix it with fruit and a little maple syrup!). I toured the facility many years ago and was impressed by the simplicity of it and their philosophy. Interestingly, some Naturopaths believe that yogurt is the key to the health of the traditional Hindu diet.

If you choose to eat meat (for a complete protein source, vitamin B12 and Iron) then eating grass fed, free range or organic meat ensures that your selection will be free of the hormones and the subtherapeutic antibiotics required to grow conventional meat animals.

My favourite meat is Buffalo (Bison) which is very lean and unlike beef, does not marble. Buffalo are more efficient eaters than beef cattle and produce a healthier meat (slightly higher in protien, lower in cholesterol, lower in saturated fat and higher in Omega fatty acids). However, grass fed organic beef will also be leaner than conventional beef.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Recently, at a conference, I had myself checked via the BIOMERIDIAN machine (the test was performed by the company's representative). This machine measures the electrical impedance corresponding to 14 organs/systems in the body. Of all the machines that I had researched, this one made the most sense to me. The representative was a very personable lady and performed a simple procedure of checking my Acupoints (on both hands and feet) with a noninvasive wand-like tool.

My results? According to the machine, I presented with normal values for 6 of the 14 organs/systems. The remainder showed that I was either Excess or Deficient to some degree. Most curious to me was a 65% deficient (Mid) respiratory system. Now after a year of extensive studying, with little time to exercise, I could have believed a massively deficient cardiovascular system, but respiratory? I realize that Toronto air quality is poor, but this seems extreme for a young, apparently healthy person!

Click image to enlarge

Even patient care in conventional medicine is suffering from the overuse of scientifically proven diagnostic machines. Take a look at this inspiring TED video on the value of a doctor's touch presented by Dr. Abraham Verghese.

I'll end with this quote that sums up this issue very well. "The childish faith in the magic of technology is one reason the American public has tolerated inhumane doctoring." The Lost Art of Healing: practicing compassion in medicine by Dr. Bernard Lown, MD.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Although waist circumference (WC) does not distinguish between subcutaneous and visceral fat (or a person's frame size), research shows that WC is highly correlated with visceral fat. Furthermore, Kuk et al. (2006) showed that "Visceral fat is an independent predictor of all cause mortality in men." Accordingly, WC should be taken very seriously and become another target of health promotion and disease prevention.

However, when a person is put on an exercise program, we must be careful not to put too much emphasis on weight loss. It may be surprising to know that a "fit" overweight person may have a lower risk of disease than an "unfit" normal weight person. Research has shown that, "low cardiorespiratory fitness was a strong and independent predictor of CVD and all-cause mortality and of comparable importance with that of diabetes mellitus and other CVD risk factors." (1)

The key here (from a Kinesiologists perspective) is the benefits of attaining some cardiovascular fitness. If you are interested, look up Dr. Robert Ross (from Queens University) who has recently published many papers on the necessity of exercise/physical activity for the prevention or management (in the case of diabetes) of many diseases far beyond what diet alone can do.

Sprint interval training or High Intensity Training (HIT) is very applicable for cardiac patients. It is similar preparation for activities of daily living (e.g. Climbing stairs) and psychologically, the shorter term duration may help adherence.

Research shows HIT exercise is very comparable to endurance exercise in regards to cardiovascular benefits (the newest research is done by Dr. Gibala at McMaster in Hamilton):

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

These principles were formally codified in 1989 and form a framework by which naturopathic medicine operates:

1. First Do No Harm2. Identify and treat the cause of disease3. Teach the principles of healthy living4. Heal the whole person through individualized treatment5. Emphasize health promotion and disease prevention6. Support the healing power of nature

Monday, May 26, 2008

As stated earlier, a 4 year Bachelors degree, with the specific prerequisites, is required. Then, throughout the 4 years of school in Naturopathic Medicine, many courses are the same as that of conventional medicine including: physiology, anatomy, embryology, immunology, histopathology, biochemistry, microbiology, differential diagnosis, physical and clinical diagnosis, laboratory diagnosis, pathology, primary care, obstetrics, pediatrics, radiology, ethics, and minor surgery.

Additionally, even though Naturopathic Doctors (ND's) are not yet licensed to prescribe drugs in all provinces in Canada, pharmacology is still a mandatory course which is important to be aware of drug-herb interactions and this also compliments a traditional understand of how botanical medicine works.

Furthermore, unlike Medical Doctors, ND's study clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, spinal/joint manipulation (chiropractic), health psychology, Asian medicine, Homeopathy, massage and hydrotherapy. Added to the foundation of science, some philosophies of Naturopathic Medicine (found in both Homeopathy and Asian medicine) will introduce controversial concepts of mind-body connection and spirituality that are not highly regarded by western medicine.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Recent studies (published in Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 2007 & Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 2007) show that high impact running increases the release of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). This neurochemical is responsible for increased production of proteins that are responsible for remodeling the brain and increasing its function.

Recent findings are showing a list of pharmaceuticals are turning up in the drinking water. As many pharmaceuticals are not metabolized well in the body, and are difficult for water treatment to remove, the concentrations are beginning to rise.

Fresh drinking water is often taken for granted in Canada. Will we really run out of water? Check out www.goblue.org for information about Canada's fresh water. (Canadians use an average of 125,000L/person a year versus Americans use 30,000L/person a year. Measure your water Footprint to estimate how much water you use).

Here is an article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition with a surprising finding about the Glycemic Index (GI). It suggests that we need to rethink the supposed insulin sparing effects of what have been called low GI foods. Blood samples taken showed the low GI of some foods was due to a higher insulin response, thereby keeping the blood glucose levels lower.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

If you are very interested in understanding Chinese Medicine, this book is for you. It explains the deep immersion of Chinese Medical thought in Taoism and how the the relationships and patterns of the Chinese organ systems work with acupuncture and herbs. Additionally, it does make interesting comparisons/contrasts between western and eastern medicine.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Udo Erasmus was one of the pioneers in turning the trend away from fat free products (the idea that all fat is bad). Science has gone a little further than what is in this book but, it was a beacon of light at the time and is still an excellent read to understand the basics of fat biochemistry and how it effects health.

Being in the outdoors is one of my favourite places. I thoroughly enjoy mounting biking, rockclimbing, snowboarding/skiing, hiking and camping. I do run but purely for the sake of fitness. I never got overly involved in team sports but do enjoy playing soccer and volleyball with friends.

If I am indoors, I love to play table tennis. Also, I play the guitar when I have time and enjoy jamming with my wife who plays excellent piano. Additionally, I find the strategy of chess fun.

Photography is another one of my big interests; mostly landscape and sports. Although digital is substantially more convenient than film, there IS a difference in the pictures, even at 10 Megapixels (although maybe only visible to the trained eye). Well, even though this is true, the cost of developing and ease of photo editing has lead me to nearly all but retire my trusty Nikon F601 for the D80.

Interests

I am enjoying developing my son's appreciation and respect for nature. I have a tremendous passion to preserve what is left of nature (According to the Toronto Zoo, 250 acres a day of rain forest are cut down a day to support North America's insatiable desire for fast food meat). As such, I am a conservationist and support the preservation of farmland (from the grips of suburbia), as well as habitat conservation, preservation of drinking water and specific managed wildlife hunting. I am shocked at the gross disconnect people in the large cities have with nature (ie. meat comes from the grocery store on a white Styrofoam and the shiniest, polished apples are the healthiest). A recent study showed that school children were able to identify hundreds of brand names advertised on T.V. but were unable to identify 10 plants or animals that were commonly found in their area (Source: The 11th Hour).

I am also a dedicated Christian (not affiliated with any denomination) and continue studying spirituality. Although several of the forefathers of naturopathy were ardent Christians (Vincent Priessnitz, Sebastian Kneipp, Adolf Just, Emanuel Felke, etc.), Christianity is currently not at all prevalent in naturopathic medicine.

Monday, May 19, 2008

This 5 disk series will show you our planet like you have never seen it before! This is the most amazing documentary I have ever seen. It is visually spectacular with footage that few humans will ever experience.

Every person should see this series to appreciate the awesome beauty of our planet and also to be informed about the issues surrounding conservation that are so time sensitive.

The series is available on DVD at many stores including online at Amazon.ca.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Here is a list of movies that resonate in some way with naturopathic philosophy:

1. Who Killed the Electric Car?2.SuperSize Me3.The Corporation4. The Matrix (the first movie only - the last 2 deviate substantially from productive philosophy!)5. The Road to Wellville (Comedy- you may need to be a naturopath to find this movie funny!)

Friday, May 9, 2008

It took years of searching to find this profession which greatly embodies many of the philosophies that I strongly believe in. My search began when I moved from Ontario to BC and began a forestry job that was exciting and extremely physically demanding. During the winters, I worked as a snowboard instructor and I thought that things were in perfect balance with 2 exciting seasonal outdoor jobs. However, this changed when the effects of the suffering forest industry swallowed up my summer job.

So, I began work as a bike technician at a popular outdoor gear store and worked my way up the retail ladder until I was the assistant manager and staff trainer. At the same time, I passed more levels of snowboard certification so that I became an instructor trainer. My ultimate ambitions involved teaching something that was centered around the outdoors and health. So, for several years I worked towards becoming a corporate trainer for the outdoor retail chain and a provincial/national snowboard coach.

As I worked towards these goals, I realized that I wanted to have a greater impact, more directly, on people's health. However, the largest obstacle that stood in the way was the thought of University after a 7 year hiatus from high school. Fortunately, I had amazing encouragement from friends. So, my research revealed a degree program called kinesiology which combined exercise and health physiology - exactly my interests. At that time, I just heard of Naturopathic Medicine and although I was interested, initially my primary goal was to became a Sports Med Doc or possibly a Chiropractor. However, by my second year of university, I was convinced I would go into Naturopathic Medicine.

In one sense I went full circle as my grandparents and mother grow a full produce and herb garden, regard the benefits of exercise, carefully select a healthy diet, use hydrotherapy, and only use medications as a last resort when dealing with an illness.

I now have a beautiful wife (whom I met at university) and two charming sons born Feb 6, 2008 and April 13, 2010.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Bisphenol-A is a xenoestrogen found in Nalgene and other polycarbonate water bottle products. Earlier this year, MEC pulled Nalgene from their shelves. I found it interesting that the U.S. T.V. show, "The Biggest Loser" (where contestants compete to loose the most weight) teamed up with Nalgene and Britta water filters to reduce the environmental impact of bottled water sales. This is a very noble cause indeed, except for the potential side effects of drinking from a Nalgene bottle!

The honey bee disappearance is a phenomenon that is being witnessed in several parts of North America. No one as of yet knows the cause for their mysterious disappearance. The bees do not swarm (as when a second queen bee develops and part of the hive leaves with her) but seem to just disappear. Some agricultural experts have already calculated the financial impact the loss of honey bee pollination would have; it's astounding of course (Source: BBC Planet Earth).

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Naturopaths are primary health care practitioners that are trained to treat the root cause of disease. As such, many patients of Naturopaths are those who have some type of chronic condition that has not responded to other forms of treatment. However, Naturopathic Doctors also treat a variety of acute conditions.

Additionally, people do not need to wait until they feel sick to see a Naturopath. Naturopathic Doctors promote public health and disease prevention by educating patients on how they can obtain their optimal health.

3. Length of treatment. Although a Naturopath may prescribe a treatment to immediately help reduce acute symptoms, fixing the route cause of the problem may take a while. It may also be very difficult for a Naturopath to tell you exactly how long it will take to feel better, but they will discuss a treatment plan with you.

4. Some protocols may be surprisingly easy and you can't believe that no one has ever told you how simple getting better could be. However, some protocols may be very difficult to adhere to. Please talk to your Naturopath about your struggles and they will make sure that they find a treatment that works best for you.

5. Style of Practice. There are many different approaches to how naturopathic medicine is practiced. With 6 major modalities learned in school (see History link above), most Naturopaths practice the ones that they identified with the most. As such, some Naturopaths may appear to have quite a different perspective than others. Some Naturopaths even employ a prescreening procedure to ensure patients are aware of their special interest or focus. The naturopathic schools are currently working hard to ensure Naturopaths are primary health care practitioners - like a Family Physician (Naturopathic Doctors in Canada now undergo a minimum of 8 years of post secondary schooling). However, the nature of the profession will ensure that there will always be some differences in the style of practice.

6. Mind-body-spirit. Each naturopath has individual beliefs and interpretations on how these three things connect. Some ND's maintain a pure scientific approach to natural medicine while others may be more inclined to involve their spiritual/religious beliefs into their practice.

Here is a brief overview of my experience with student life up until 4th year Internship.

As I mentioned earlier, the workload of the schooling is probably double the volume of undergrad. At CCNM, there are points during the year where a student will be taking up to 11 courses at once. So, there is not a lot of time for life outside of school - although the Naturopathic Students Association (NSA) and Social Class reps do a great job of setting up social events.

One thing I noticed almost immediately as a new CCNM student was how supportive the students were. The team atmosphere is unlike any school I have attended. I can't help but think of the sharp contrast between the student body here and that of one particular class in undergrad called, "The Sociology of Heath and Illness." Although the class itself was one of the most interesting classes I took, most of the students in that course were pre-med students and some of the perspectives and ideas presented on the online class discussion board were shocking (in my own faculty -kinesiology-the students were very competitive but much friendlier!).

The atmosphere and dynamics at CCNM may also be influenced by the predominantly female student population. In any case, when the course load and exams get intense, everybody soldiers through it together. Remember, you should find most of the material relevant and very interesting (unlike some required courses in undergrad!) which makes dedication easier.

Here are some tips beyond General Requirements to ensure that you are prepared for school in naturopathic medicine. Also, if you have not been to see a naturopath yet, click on the What to Expect link under Prospective Patients.Academic Prerequisites

All the naturopathic schools have very similar entrance requirements. Unlike other Canadian Medical schools, an undergraduate degree is mandatory for entry into both Naturopathic schools in Canada. Furthermore, there are specific course prerequisites: General Biology (one year), Biochemistry, General Chemistry (one year), Organic Chemistry, Intro Psychology (one year/half year for Boucher) & Humanities (one from a choice), Physiology (one year for CCNM). Some of the American schools also require Physics as well as a Math (algebra based) course.

There are no MCAT entrance exams for naturopathy (medical schools may weight MCAT scores at 15% of the applicants pre-interview admissions criteria - the remainder is 50% academic record, 25% life experiences and 10% reference letters. Source: University of Calgary, 2008). Instead, your academic record carries the most weight, followed by your extracurricular/volunteer/ employment (life experiences) and entrance letters will get you to the interview stage.

To prepare for your school interview and entrance letters, it helps if you are currently, or were in the past, the patient of a Naturopath. The experience of being a patient will show a relevant and much deeper understanding of the issues of naturopathic medicine.

Also, one of the application questions usually includes an understanding of the history of naturopathy. If at all possible, get the book Nature Doctors by Friedhelm Kirchfeld & Wade Boyle - you will need it in first year as well (it is available on line through Amazon and Chapters).

Volunteering or working somewhere in the health industry will also show your dedicated interest in health and helping others.

1st Year Prep

A strong science background will help ease the volume of required learning in the first year. If at all possible, take a university Human Physiology course and especially Anatomy. Although neither course is mandatory for acceptance, they are both recommended by most naturopathic schools. These are year long courses and Anatomy will be one of the most time consuming courses to learn because of the immense amount of memorization. I was fortunate to have a taken Anatomy (with cadaver labs) and was able to enjoy the review and learn some additional things that I missed the first time around. As such, I was able to put a minimal effort into studying Anatomy and focus on other courses that I had never encountered before (My wife and I also had a baby which took a bit of time!).

The intensity of naturopathic college is probably unlike anybody can prepare you for. A typical day (of 1st year) at CCNM can range from 8:30am to 6pm spent in classes with a 1 hour break to eat. Also, although the exams are slightly more applied than most university exams, a passing grade for each course is a minimum of 65-70% depending on the school . As such, many students go to class all day and then study until bed. This leaves very little time for family or a second job. The possibility to work might be better at Boucher because their trimester system lengthens their school year, but they take fewer classes at once.

School is very expensive, about $20,000 per year. So make sure that you work out your financing/loans so that you are not forced to work part-time during school. This can be a battle and I am by no means an expert on financial advice-it's tough! Both schools in Canada are eligible for government student loans (If more funding is needed, an educational Line of Credit to Naturopathic Students is most easily acquired through the CIBC). A few people do choose to work part-time throughout the year because it is a break from studying or relaxing atmosphere etc. but, I still don't know how they do it!

**Note: Not all Provinces and States are regulated for Naturopathic Doctors and therefore some people can call themselves a "naturopath" without the accredited training. Furthermore, a Naturopathic Doctor (ND), Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD) and Doctor of Natural Medicine (DNM) are not equivalent. Therefore, make sure you support someone who has gone the distance and graduated from an accredited school.

I had the privilege to tour and receive an interview with both schools. At the time, it was a very difficult choice between the two schools as each offer their own benefits. One advantage both Canadian schools have over the American schools (with the exception of SCNM) is the inclusion of acupuncture and TCM within the ND curriculum.

CCNM is large and established and exudes a feeling of security. It has the Robert Schad Naturopthic Teaching Clinic which sees more than 26,000 patient visits per year. The location also offers the Paracelsus Herb Garden which I absolutely love. (Interestingly, we found rent to be on average much cheaper in Toronto than Vancouver). Over the course of the 1st year, most of my professors knew me by name and some would stop and talk in the halls. Our 1st year September class was 82 people and approximately another 50 people from the January intake joined us in second year (this "January Intake" option is exclusive to CCNM and has advantages and disadvantages discussed later). The Unity Summit, which happens in the 1st week of school, is a must and it did not take long before I knew everyone in my class by name. The curriculum at CCNM is organized into a semester system which puts CCNM students out at the same time as the university students in May. This does make for a nice long summer break after 1st year for September intake students to revitalize their bank accounts or relax and prep for the next year (Sorry January intake). However, the shorter semesters give the impression of cramming 5 years of school into 4 years - do not underestimate the intensity.

Boucher is at a fancy location in New Westminster (Vancouver) near the harbor front. The class sizes are small (they told me a max of 35 people per class) and the students I met appeared to have a tremendous amount of pride in their school. My interview was conducted by a Naturopathic Doctor who was on Boucher's Board of Governors, and I definitely felt valued and privileged to spend nearly an hour talking with her. Boucher also organizes the school year into a trimester system which I think has some great benefits. Although Boucher students only get 2 months for summer, I believe that the trimester system, which spreads out the amount of material required to know over a longer period of time, is very conducive to learning.

Different Strengths

I noticed a slight difference in the focus of modalities between each school, although the curriculum appears to be nearly identical. One difference the graduates informed me about when I visited Boucher was their proficiency and competence with the physical modalities i.e. joint/spinal adjusting. As of yet, a lot of people are not aware that Naturopathic Doctors are trained in adjustments, i.e. Chiropractic medicine. My impression was confirmed by several students that either transferred to Boucher from CCNM or visa versa. Correspondingly, at Boucher there was possibly less focus on Botanical Medicine and TCM.

Alternatively, at CCNM, interest in physical medicine seems to be at an all time low (It is interesting to note that the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Canada's only accredited Chiropractic college, is just 5 minutes up the street from CCNM!). However, my 4th year intern was exceptional at spinal adjustments and there are additional opportunities to become proficient at this modality at CCNM if students take them. (Now, after completing my internship, I can say that I enjoyed helping people with soft tissue and spinal problems and confidently utilized adjustments when indicated.)

My point is not that one school is superior to the other in any way, but there are definitely some subtle differences that are hard to tease out from face value. Ultimately, I believe that your education will be the result of what you make of it.